Suction cleaner



March 7, 1933.

H.4 R.- BALLOU SUCTION CLEANER Filed Feb. 28, 1929 -Patented Mar. 7, 1933 UNITED vs'rATlas PATENT ori-lcs HARRY R. BALLOU, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIG-NOR TO THE HOOVER COMPANY, A. COBPORA- u TION F OHIO SUCTION CLEANER Application filed February 28, 1929. Serial No. 343,502.

This invention relatesto suctionv cleaners and itparticularly relates to means for securing a dust bag to the handle of a suction cleaner. Y

Flexible or expansible means for yieldinglyfsecuring the upper end of a dust bag to a suctioncleaner handle is relatively well known in the art.v These suspension means however, consist primarily in the-use of an ordinary helical spring whichy renderssuiiicient flexibility for ordinary purposes. These devices provide various degrees of tension on the .bag depending upon the angle at lwhich the handle is maintained during the raising and lowering of the same in operating the cleaner. During normal operating conditions the longitudinal axis of the bag is substantiallyparallel with the suction sweeper handle andin.

raising the handle upwardly, or'whenl the suction cleaner is to be stored away, the hanl'dle is maintained at a' substantially vertical position which is usually perpendicular to the horizontal axial center line of the suction cleaner. The ordinary' spring suspension Ymeans provides a tension and causes a pull to be exerted at the bottom of the bag where the .bag mouth is attached to the discharge outlet of the cleaner. Due to this tension and to creasing at the mouth of the bag, caused by manipulation of the handle, the bag will wear out. and dust, which is collected in the bag, will be forced through the bag at the lower end of'v the neck. While it is desirable, and usually necessary,`that a slight tension be maintainedon the bag. at all times, excess tension caused by raisingor lowering` the handle will cause the 'bagto deteriorate'and Ywear out at a rapid rate. p A

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages inherent to theconventional type of suspension means and its primary object vis to provide bag suspension means which will `providethe same relative tension on the bag regardless of the positionv of. the suction Another object of the invention is to pro- -vide bag suspensionmeans which is connected to the handle of a suction, cleanerand which `has a part thereof which'y is movable about a pivot to lprovide any equal tension on the I bag at all times.

Another object'of the invention is to provide bag suspension means which is relatively simple and efficient in operation, which is rigid and substantial in construction, which may be readily and economically manufactured, and which can be easily and quickly applied to existing handles.

In accordance with the invention, the suspension means comprises a pivotal rigid member having an outwardly extending arm.` A spring is secured to a piece of flexible materlal, which is alsosecured to the arm so that tension on one end of the arm will cause it to move on its pivot and provide a compensating effect to offset the tension on the spring sion on the bag regardless of the angle at which thecleaner handle is placed.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention, the views are as follows: n

.Fig 1 is a side elevation of an electric suction cleaner and embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the invention applied to the handle of a cleaner. v v

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3', 3 of Fig. 2.'

Fig. 4 is a detail bottom plan view of the device shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates a suction cleaner generally, which is provided with a discharge neck 6 towhich adust bag 7 is secured. The upper end ,of the dustbag is secured to the cleaner propelling handle 8 by means of the improved suspension means which is designated generally as 9.-

The suspension means 9 comprises a plate, or other rigid member 10, which may be secured on the inside of vthe tubular handle 8. A frame or other suitable support 11 is secured to the handle and carries an arm12 which is pivoted thereto at 13. A helical tension spring 14 has one end thereofsecured to a lug 15 struck up from the plate10, and its other end securedfto a flexible member such as webbing, leather, or other material 16 which passes over the heel 17 of the arm 12. This webbing is also connected to the arm by means of a plate, or other attachment 18, and extends beyond the end of the arm 12 and provides a flexible attaching portion for engagement with a bag clip or clamping means. l

rllhe heel 17 is curved to presenta cam surface for engagement by the flexible member 16, the radialY distance of such surface from the pivotal axis gradually decreasing in one direction so that, as the arm 12 moves away from the handle 8 and the spring 111 is elongated and its tension thereby increased, the effective radial distance at Awhich the tension of the spring is applied to the arm 12 is lessened. Also, as the handle-is raised and the arm 12 swings away from the handle, the direct line between the outer end of the arm 12 and the point of attachment of the lower end of the bag moves outwardly from the pivot 13 so that the effective lever arm of the outer portion of the arm 12 is increased.

Upon upward movement of the handle 8, the arm 12 is swung outwardly'and downwardly on its pivot by reason of its connection to the bag 7 through the connecting member 19, such movement of` the arm 12 1 being opposed by the spring 14. During the first part of such movement the rate of angular movement of the arm is comparatively great as compared with that during the latter part of its movement, and the rate of change of the effective lever arm of the outer' portion of the arm 12 is comparatively small. Raising of the handle therefore causes greater swinging movement of the arm 12 and overcomes the increased tension on the spring to cause an equal tension to be applied on the .bag regardless of the position of the handle.

T he greatest tendency to increase the tension or pulling power is usually when the bag and handle are in vertical or storing position. This movement therefore causes the arm to `vswing tothe position shown in broken lines in Figure 2 and the lessened effective` radial distance of the point of application of the ytension of the spring overcomes or compensates for the increased spring pressure and f provides the same relatively slight tension,

which is desirable.

The invention provides bag suspending means which is comparatively simple and efficient in operation, which provides an equal/tensiony on the bag at all times to eliminate undue wear and tear on the bag normally caused by vertical movement of the handle, and which can be economically manufactured.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts with- .out departing from the spirit ofthe invention, or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

1 claim:

1. The combination of a hand propelled tool, a handle pivotally mounted on said tool, a container attached to said tool at a point removed from the pivotal axis of saidhandle, and yielding means for supporting the upper portion of said container from said handle, comprising an arm pivotally carried by said handle at its lower side and connected to the upper end of said container and a spring cooperating with said arm to swing it upwardly toward `said handle.

2. The combination of a hand propelled tool, a hollow handle pivotally mounted on said tool, land having an opening therein, a member attached to said tool at a point removed from the pivotal axis of said handle, and yielding means for supporting the upper portion of said member from said handle, comprising an arm pivotally carried by said handle and extending through the opening therein, said arm being connected to said member and located on the same side of said handle as is the point at which said member is attached to said tool, and a spring within said handle and operatively connected with said arm.

3. The combination of a hand propelled tool, a handle pivotally mounted on said tool, a container attached to said tool at a point removed from the pivotal axis of said handle, and yielding means for supporting the upper portion of said container from said handle, comprising a lever pivotally carried by vsaid handle and having one end thereof connected to said container, and having a series of lever arms successively decreasing in effective length, and a spring secured to said handle and cooperating with said lever arms successively as said lever is moved away from said handle in different position of said lever. Y

ll. The combination of a hand propelled tool, a handle pivotally mounted on said tool, a member attached to said tool at a point removed from the pivotal axis of said' handle, and yielding means for supporting the upper portion of said member from said handle, comprising a lever pivotally carried by said handle and having one end thereof connected to said member, a tension spring secured at one end to said handle, the other end of said lever having a curved surface of gradually increasing radius' from the pivot point of the lever, and a flexible member connecting the other end of said spring and said lever and contacting with said surface to applythe force of said spring at dierent effective radial distances from the pivot point of said lever.

5. The combination of a hand propelled device, a handle pivotally connected to said device, a container secured to said device at a point offset from the pivotal axis of said handle, and yielding means for supporting said container from said handle, comprising a lever pivoted to said handle, and having one end thereof connected to said container, the other end of said lever having portions of varying radius, and a spring cooperating with said portions of varying radius of said lever successively to apply different rotative forces upon said lever at different angular positions thereof.

6. The combination of a suction cleaner, a handle pivotally mounted on said cleaner, a dust bag connected at its lower end to said cleaner at a point offset from the pivotal axis of said handle, and yielding means for supporting the upper portion of said bag from said handle and maintaining a substantially uniform tension upon said bag, comprising a lever pivotally carried by said handle and having one end connected to said, bag, said lever having a series of lever arms varying successively in effective length and a spring cooperating with said lever arms successively at dierent positions of said lever.

7. The combination of a hand propelled tool, a hollow handle pivotally mounted on saidtool and having an opening therein, a member attached to said tool at a point removed from the pivotal aXis of said handle, and yielding means for supporting a portion of said member from said handle, comprising a plate, a lever pivotally carried by said plate, a spring carried by said plate and cooperating with said lever to swing it in one direction, and means for connecting said lever and said member, said plate with said lever and said spring being attachable as a unit to said handle adjacent the opening therein. l

8. The combination of a hand propelled tool, a hollow handle pivotally mounted on said tool and having an opening therein, a member attached to said tool at a point removed from the pivotal aXis of said handle, and yielding means for supporting a portion of said member from said handle, comprising a plate, a spring carried by said plate, and an arm pivotally mounted on said plate and operatively connected to said spring and adapted to be connected to said member, said plate being secured within said handle with said arm extending through said opening whereby said spring is housed within said handle.

9. The combination of a hand propelled device, a handle pivotally mounted on said device, a member attached to said device, and means for supporting the upper portion of said member from said handle, comprising a lever pivoted at a point intermediate its ends and carried by said handle, a spring carried by said handle, and a iiexible mem-V ber for connecting said spring and said member and engaging and secured to said lever.

10. The combination of a hand propelled device, a hollow handle pivotally mounted on said device and having an opening in the lower side thereof, a member attached to said device and extending along said handle, and means for supporting the upper portion of said member from said handle, comprising a lever pivoted at a point intermediate its ends and carried by said handle so as to extend through said opening, a tension spring carried bysaid handle, and means operatively connecting said spring to the inner end of said lever to swing the outer end of said lever upwardly into close engagement with the outside of said handle. y

11. The combination of a hand propelled tool, a handle pivotally mounted on said tool, a. container attached to said tool at a point removed from the pivotal axis of saidhandle and extending along said handle, and yielding means connecting the upper portion of said container and said handle comprising a spring mounted on said handle, a member connected to said container and operatively connected to said spring, and means for varying the application of the force of said spring to said member' to maintain substantially the same tension on said container in various positions of said handle.

12. The combination of a hand propelled tool, a handle pivotally mounted on said tool, a member attached to said tool and extending along said handle, and means' supporting the upper portion of said member from said handle comprising a lever pivotally carried by said handle and connected to said member, said lever having a surface providing a series of lever arms successively decreasing in effective length, a spring, and means operatively associating said spring with said lever arms successively, the effective lever arms of the points of application of the force of said spring to said lever and to said member by said lever being such as to maintain substantially uniform longitudinal tension upon said member in various positions of said handle.

Signed at Canton, in the county of Stark, and State of Ohio, this 21st day of February, 

